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Springfield set to OK new fire fees
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Springfield City Council members are scheduled to vote at a special called meeting Friday morning on final approval of a new slate of fire fees.


Council members agreed to adjust their fire fees at their regular Tuesday meeting, keeping the residential rate at $60 a year and charging commercial properties 2 cents per square foot, with a minimum charge of $150 a year.


They also endorsed charging tax-exempt properties 3 cents per square foot, with a minimum of $150 a year.


The new fees are expected to bring in $100,000 a year, according to City Manager Brett Bennett. The city needs $113,000 for its portion of its fire department funding.


The remaining $13,000 is expected to come from the city’s general fund, Bennett added.


Council members also will consider approval of a false alarm ordinance.


Council members approved new sewer rates Tuesday night and also approved a new general fund and special purpose local option sales tax budgets.


The general fund budget will be $2.12 million for fiscal year 2013, and the SPLOST budget will be $1.14 million. The FY12 general fund budget was $1.737 million, and the SPLOST budget was pegged at $929,402.


The streets/lanes budget will be $594,000, or about 28 percent of the spending plan. The police department will get more than $487,000, or about 23 percent of the budget.


Springfield’s budget goes into effect Jan. 1, 2013.


Council members also were asked to come up with potential candidates to replace Jeff Ambrose. Ambrose, who had served as mayor pro tem and was the acting mayor for more than a year, resigned his seat in October after he moved out of the city.